Automatic train-pipe coupling.



PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

N. E. MARVIN. AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19.1907.-

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Th H H HHHAW F HHHHHMWH PATENTED MAY 12, 1908 N. E.MARVIN. AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED MAY 12, 1908.

N. E. MARVIN. AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPL IOATION FILED N0 V.l9,1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NORMAN MARYIX, Ul SPRINGFIELD, )l.\SS.-\tl-II.'SETTS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1908.

Application filed November 19, 1907. Serial No. 402.812.

To all 2127mm it may concern:

Be it known that l. Xoaqux F. UARvIN, a citizen of the Tinted States ofAmerica. re-

siding at Springfield, in the county of I-lampden and State ofMassachusetts. have invented new and useful lnun'ovcments in Automatic'lrain-Pipe Couplings. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for automatically cou'iling together the signal line'pipe. train line pipe, and steampipe ofrailway cars.

It has for its object to do awav with all angle cocks; also 'to avoidthe necessity of the trainmcn going between the cars to effect theseconnections.

Further objects of my invention are as follows:-iirst: to automaticallyoperate the valves in the several pipes in order that an pipe sothatshould the train for any reason break in two or become separated,the pressure in the train line would be suiticienily reduced toautomatically apply the brakes in the usual manner; fifth: to soconstruct thi valve that when a coach equipped with my invention isplaced at the end of a train the train-line pipe will be automaticallyclosed at the rear end of the coach, thus preventing the. escape of thecompressed air therefrom, and sixth: to providemeans for holding theadjacent ends of the coupling elements in horizontal alinement, thuspreventing the sagging of the ends and breaking of the apparatus when inoperation, and more particularly when it is not connected to a companioncoupling.

In the drawings forming part of this applicatign,Figure 1- is ato planview of my invention showing the adjacent ends of the coupling devicelocked together when in use. Fig; Zlis .a partial vertical longitudinalscctional'view on the'line 2- -2, Fig. 1. F 3 is a transverse sectionalview on the line 33 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow andclearly showing the channel constructimi surrounding the valves. Fig. 4is a vertical sectional view in the plane taken on the line 4 4 ofFig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail view of my automatic reducing valve. Fig. 6is a side elevation showing the manner of attaching my improvements tothe draw-bar.

Referring to the drawings in detail. (1 designates a bracket-arm that isadjustably connected to the draw-bars (1. a of the coach by means of thestrap irons (1' and links a" in order that the arm may have impartedthereto the same movements as the draw-bars. This bracket-arm isprovided with conical )enings Z) for receiving the pipes c. d. and cwhich are respectively the air signal-pipe. the trainline or air-brakepipe, and the steam-pipe for heating the coaches. These three pipes areconnected by means of the usual flexible or hose connections 0. (l and cwith the various train-pipes which terminate at opposite ends of thecoach. These flexible pipes may be provided with the usual angle-valvesor cocks for cutting off communication through the pipes, but myimprovement permits doing away w1th them entirely. These pipes arescrewed into a head or casting f. as indicated at the point 72. i

The conical openings 6 permit the pipes to move in any direction, thatis either upward or downward or sidewisc. when the device is in use on amoving train. This construction necessary in order to permit the headpieces f to maintain a rigid locked engagement with each other duringthe variousmovements of the train and over any unevenness of theroad-bed, and in order to prevent leakage of air or steam. head orcasting piece f is provided with a valve p that has a stem j extendingthrough and beyond the face-plate It, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed that the face-plate 7c is secured to the. outerportion of the head piece fby means of the bolts m and n. and located-between the edges of the headf and the face plate L- .is a packing orgasket 0. The valve is slidably mounted within an opening q of thehead-piece f. This valve is normally pressed outward'to its seat on thegasket 0 by means of a weak spring r, and also by the compressed air onthe back of the valve. in Fig. '2, which shows the device in use, this.valve is forced away from its seat on the The end of the packing o bymeans or" thestemsj engaging each other when two coaches are coupledtogether. p

Referrmg to Fig. 3, of the drawings, it will be noticed that the valve pis surrounded by a series of passages or semi-circular rooves s that arecut in the head-plecef.

to' pass freely through t 1e signal pipe from one endof the train to theother.

The face-plates 7c are provided with oppositely extended hornsu in orderto cause the head pieces f to accurately come together when two coachesare connected to each other in the usual manner-by means of thedraw-bars 11 ,0 I e vThe head pieces f at the outer end of the air-brakepipe cl are further provided with an automatic air-reducing andair-retaimng valve '0, which is normally forced outwardly to its seat onthe gasket 0, by means of a weak spring to, together with the pressureof,

compressed air on its rear face. This valve is also provided withan'outwardly extending stem 00 sothatthe same will be engaged by thestemof the o posite valve when the train cou led toget 1er and thevalves forced away om their seats on the gaskets o. Referring to Fig. 3of the drawings, it will be seen that'the valve 1* is surrounded by aseries of semi-circular grooves or passages z 1 posed fa ce-plates k bymeans of the gaskets or'packing-rmgs 0.

The supply of steam to the pipe e is controlled by the engineers valvewhile the valves in each coach, which control the supply of steam to thecoils located therein, are

under the control of the trainmen. I The spring 2, which encircles thesteampipe 6, and spring 4:, which encircles the train line (i, that arelocated between the bracket-plate a and the head-piece f are normallyunder .oompression, and when thecoaches are not coupled together these srings serve the purpose of drawing the check-washers 3 firmly againstthe bracketplate a; but when the coaches are coupled and the deviceis'in the position shown in Fig. 2, the springs 2, 4, and 15 are placedunder compression and the pipes e, d, and c forced or moved through thebracket-plated iorc-ing the check-nuts away from the plate and allowingthe pipes to play through the ta pered holes. The spring 2 also servesthe further purpose, as does the spring 4:, to

I T is for the purposeof permittin the compressed a1r.

elevate the outer end of the head and thus ing or passage-way 5 whichcommunicates 6 designates v with the interior of the valve.

a diaphragm that'is securedto the main body of the valve by. means ofthe threaded plug 7;

-8 designates a cavity or opening within the valve o into "which thepassageway 5 opens,

and 9 designates a stemwithin this cavity or opening 8. This stem isprovided with a passage-way 10 which communicates with thetwo-,passag'e-ways 11 and 12 by means of the passage-waylB. It willbenoticed that the passage-way 5 is much smaller in assage-ways 11 and 12.

diameter than the The operationof t is valve 1) is as follows: When theplug 7' is threaded into the body portion of the valve for securing thediax phragm 6 therein, the pressure. of the conlined air in the recess14 of the plug Twill be greater than 15' lbs., or atmospheric pressure,thus. forcing the diaphragm 6 against the end of the stem 9 and closingthe pas- 1 sage-way 10, since the area of the passageway 10 is much lessin extent than the area of the diaphragm 6 on the cavity side 14:thereof. This is the normal position oftl-ie diaphragm before the trainis couplegl 7 1130 gether'. After the coupling takes place the btrain-pipe pressure, which islbs, or over,

to the square inch, can pass through the passage-ways z'in the-headpiecef and through the passage-way 5 into the chamber 8. This operation, byreason of the high pressure in the train line, will lift the diaphragm 6from its seat on the end of the stem 9 and uncover the passage-way 10.-The compressed air can-now -freely pass through'the ports or openings11, 12, 13-a'nd 10 to the chamber 8. Should an accident occur, or thetrain be disconnected for any reason, the spring w,

together with compressed air behind the valve, will force the same toits seat on the gasket or packing 0, thus closing the passageways 2 Thisoperationwill permit the air in the chamber 8 to gradually leaktherefrom through the passage-way 5 to the atmosphere, and when thepress ure in' the chamber 8 becomes less thanthe ressure in the chamber14 the diaphragm 6 wi close the port 10 and prevent any further leaka eor reduction of an from the train-pipe. T is operation or move ment ofthe diaphragmfi and the small leakage'passage way 5, causes thebrakesvto b4 applied byreducing the pressure in the train pipeline intheordinary way, thereby set ting the brakes, The diaphragm 6 is aideqin its closing movements towards the-stem by reason of a partial vacuum.being produced in the chamber 8 on account of the compressed airrapidlv passing through the ports 11, 12, 13, 1t) and out to theatmosphere through the passage-way 5. I In making up the train, should acar or coach that is equipped with my invention be. placed at the end ofthe train, the valves 19 and 1: will be forced against the packing orgasket 0 by reason of the springs r and w and the compressed air back ofthem, thus preventing any escape of the air to the atmos- )here from thecoupler when it is not in use.

he diaphragm 6 will close the port 10 when one reduction of'air is madein the train line and the port will remain closed until connected to thecompanion coupler on another car.

Re erring to Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be noticed that the bolts mand n are so arranged as to form a dowel and pin connection between theface-plates *k of the adjacent coupling so that when these face platescome together, the heads of the bolts will serve as additional means formaintaining the coupling in horizontal alinement and also do away a withfriction on the packings or gaskets.

It should be stated that the horns u are so shaped that when in lockedposition they maintain the face-plates I: in arigid and int-- movableposition against any movement and thus prevent leakage of air or steambetween the facelates. This is a very importantteature 6i my improvementand all movements of the coupling device are taken up by the pipes0,-(1, and e in the conical openings b of the bracket-arms a.

The center spring 4 on the air-brake pipe (I being a stiff compressionspring, exerts, the greatest pressure when the head pieces f are coupledtogether and serves, with the help of the springs 2"and 1.5 to hold theface-plates is solidly together, which maintains an air and steam-tightjoint.

1. .In an automatic train pipe coupling (invice, a valve normallyclosing communicationbetween the brake-pipe and the atmos phere, saidvalve having a chambered-out portion, a (.liaphragtn. means for securingthe diaphragm to the body portion of the valve. passage-ways in the bodyportion of the valve and communicating with the chambcrmlout portion ofthe valve, the valv e also having. an additional communication with thechambered portion to the atmosphere, whereby when t 1e pressure withinthe'chambered-out will permit the head-piece to follow the movements ofthe draw-bar and road-bed.

3. An automatic coupling device in combi nation, a draw-bar, abracket-arm adjustably connected thereto,a head-piece, a face-platesecured to said piece, means for maintaining the face-plate in the samehorizontal plane, the bracket-arm having conical openings therein, andconnecting means between the bracket-arm and the head- )iece andengaging the conical openings, w hereby the headpiece may move m unisonwith the draw-bar and road-bed.

t; In a coupling device, head-pieces having channels therein, a valve ineach headpiece and surrounded by the channels, said valves normallyclosing the channels, means forming a part of the valves amlprojectingbeyond the face of the head-pieces for operating oppositely disposedvalves, and siniul- .taneously uncoverin the channels.

5. In a coupling device, an'au'tomatic reducing and retaining valve, thevalve having a chambered port-ion and having a stem located in saidportion, a flexible member for closing the chambered portion. theste'tnhaving an o )ening theret-hrough, means for moving the 'exiblemember against the stem and closing the opening NORMAN E. MARVIN.

'i t ncsscs:

K. I. (Ll-Luoxs. ll. W. Bownx.

